Protector for dental handpieces



W. -E. CURRY Y PROTECTOR FOR DENTAL HANDPIECES March 4 1924.

Filed Aug. 1.922

JMwniio o ward]? fi my Patented Mar. 4, 1924.

ruurrso STATES PATENT orries.

WARD E. CURRY, OF BRADENTOWN, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOH '.'I 0 CUBRY HAND-PIEGEPRO- TECTOR 00., OF HILLSIBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA,'A .COMMON LAWGQMIBANY..

' PROTECTOR FOR DENTAL HANDPIECES.

Application filed August 9, 1922. Serial No. 580,793.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it "known that I, WARD E. CURRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bradentown, in the county of Manatee and State of Florida,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protectors forDental Handpieces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the. invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a, part ofthis specification This invention relates to sanitary protectors fordental hand-pieces and has for an object to provide a protector of somecheap and relatively flexible material which will protect the hand-piecefrom contact with the hand of the user and with the mouth of the patientand which may be thrown away and discarded following each operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector for a dentalhand-piece which is adjustable to various types of hand-pieces eitherstraight or angles and to angles of various divergencies from straightto comply with and operate in conjunction with the hand-pieces of modernpractice.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector for ahand-piece which shall grip the hand piece in such manner as to maintainthis firmly upon the handpiece during the operation and offer no ob-.struction to the proper manipulation of the hand-piece during suchoperation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector in the formof a tubular member which will slip over and upon the outside of andcover the hand-piece with an elbow joint intermediate its length toprovide for the necessary hinging or angular movement of the anglehand-piece.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certainnovel parts, units, elements, combinations, constructions, functions andinter-actions as disclosed in the drawings, together with mechanical,operative and functional equivalents thereof,

as will be hereinafter more fully described and'claimed. I r

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a View of the improved.protec tor 6f the preferred typeshown in side tistry the'engine is provided with a handpiece which isconventionally shown at 10 in Figure 2. The present invention 'isintended to operate in conjunction with1hand pieces of various types andmakes and the showing of the particular type of handpiece in' suchfigure is intended as no limita-c I tion upon the present invention.

The invention comprises a tubular member properly proportioned toslipover and upon the hand-piece 10 indicated at Figure 2. It comprisespreferably a cylindrical part 11 properly proportioned to slip over theupper part of the hand-piece and with a fluted section 12 whichconstricts the diameter of the tube in normal position. This flutedsection 12 when slipped over the hand-piece will expand by reason of itsfluted construction to accommodate itself to the size of the hand-pieceand yet to grip the hand-piece properly and firmly so that the hand ofthe operator grasping the outside of this protector will have a firmhold upon the hand-piece contained therein. Preferably also, though notessentially, a second cylindrical part 13 is provided spaced oppositethe part 11 relative to the fluted section 12. This cylindrical part 13,while not essential to the invention is desirable in view of the factthat an elbow joint is connected directly with this part connecting atapered extremity H with the section 13. This tapered section 14: isproportioned to fit over the chuck of the hand-piece as indicated moreparticularly at Figure 2 so that the bur or other tool may be insertedthrough the opening in the end of this tapered portion this accordionconstruction will permit the.

movement ofthe tip 14e s indicated while maintaining at all times aclosed relation of the protector. It follows,'therefore-, that the Vprotector being placed upon the hand-piece will permit the movement ofthe angle as may be required to perform the operation in hand or theangle may be placed upon thehand-piece prior to the placing of theprotector thereon'and the bellows joint 01"? the protector will yield asit is being placed uponthe hand-piece with the angle thereon. In anyarrangement of the hand-piece the protector is formed wholly to the endof the chuck whereby the part of the handpiece introduced into the mouthor" the patient iscovered by this protector and the changing of theprotector bet-ween each two operations will insure a clean and asepticsurface to be introduced intov the mouth of the patient at each sitting.

As the protector is designed simply to be slipped over the hand-pieceand to remain thereon during one operation whether the hand-piece be ofthe straight type or the angle type, it is believed that any furtherexplanation of the operation of the device or its relation to thehand-piece would be superfluous.

What I claim to be new is:

1. A sanitary protector for dental handpieces comprising a tubularmember proportioned to cover and grip the hand-piece and having abellows joint formed intermediate its ends.

2. A sanitary protector for dental handpieces comprising a tubularmember proportioned to cover the hand-piece and having, circumferentialfolds formed intermediate its ends producing a bellows jointfacilitating the positioning of one section of the tube at an anglerelative to the other.

3. A sanitary protector for-dental handpieces comprising a tubularmember proportioned to cover and grip the handpiece and. provided withcircumferential corrugations adjacent one end producing a flexibilityfacilitating the positioningof one section of said tubular member withits axis at an angle relative to the other. 7

4:. A sanitary protector for dental handpieces comprising a tubularmember having intermediate its length a longitudinally fluted sectionproportioned .to grip the handpiece, a tapered joint at one endproportioned to fit the chuck of the hand-picce,

and a circumferentially corrugated section intermediate the flutingandthe tapered extremity providing a flexibility in the tubular neinberfacilitating the positioning of the tapered joint at an angle relativeto theaxis of the tubular member.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature.

